ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 BEHBUD ASSOCIATION, KARACHI Behbud Association, Karachi, is a registered, non-government and non-profit development oriented organization, working in the sectors of education, health, vocational training for income generation, and providing assistance in Karachi’s urban slums to underprivileged communities. Behbud is run by a group of women volunteers and supported by a team of professionals and salaried staff. VISION . Our vision is educated, healthy, prosperous, empowered and responsible individuals, with equal opportunities in society. MISSION . Behbud Association’s mission is to uplift and empower communities by providing health, education and income generation opportunities through vocational training. It believes that it can achieve its goals through the motivation, commitment, and participation of all stakeholders. OBJECTIVES . To organize / empower communities and develop leadership through their participation. To establish each service delivery sector of the organization into an institution. To promote and establish quality education / literacy programs with the participation of the community. To facilitate income generating opportunities through promotion of vocational training. To promote health awareness by providing affordable health-care service and advocacy programs. To establish networking with communities / NGOs / donors and public sector through Information, Education, Communication (IEC) materials. To promote healthy family traditions and empower women. To improve living conditions and environment. 1 2 3 Presidents Report 2020 My dear Behbud colleagues and friends, It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Behbud’s 46th Annual General Meeting, in this year of our 50th anniversary. Covid 19 has changed the world in 2020, even our own lives have altered but, by the Grace of Allah, Behbud remains true to its mission of empowering underprivileged women and children. We were able to achieve almost all the goals that we had set at the beginning of the year. What we had to shelve were the events planned to highlight our 50 years of service. In the pandemic, our first priority became financial stability so that we could continue supporting our beneficiaries and the various Behbud projects. Financial Performance: The Spring Fiesta was held in February 2020 and, Alhamdolillah, Behbud generated a net income of Rs.7, 222, 946/- A big thank you to the entire Behbud membership for their hard work in making this fundraiser such a success! Shortly after that the country went into a complete lockdown. Behbud also closed. That meant that none of the projects had any incomes. It became important to ensure that donations and zakat would keep flowing into the organization without any hitch. Arrangements were made to facilitate online donations and zakat payment through the Behbud website and so, despite the lockdown, Behbud received enough zakat and donations to meet our budget. For this we thank Allah and the efforts of our members. Significant earnings were also recorded through good management of Behbud’s investments. Behbud’s strong financial position made it possible to retain all Behbud employees. No one was laid off and everyone was paid full salaries. It is my pleasure to note that Behbud’s tax exemption status has been renewed. With this important document in hand it becomes easier to approach corporate donors. Events before Social Distancing: Before the lockdown in March, Behbud hosted two big events. The help and enthusiasm of the members made these two major events successful: 4 • Open House: An impressive Open House was held at Clifton Complex in December 2019. More than 77 guests were given a tour of the facilities. Many of the guests were highly impressed by the variety of Behbud’s activities. • Behbud Spring Fiesta: This annual event once again galvanized the Behbud membership into action, and their hard work made it a resounding success. Covid 19 lockdown Ration distribution: The Behbud piece workers and lower income staff were hit hard during the extended lockdown imposed by the Government. To alleviate their sufferings, rations were distributed in 4 rounds reaching 562 recipients in a span of three months. The recipients’ ID cards were registered with Sind Relief Initiative to avoid duplication. Behbud collaborated with the Robin Hood Army through the Osman and Rahima Bai Foundation to collect donations in aid of residents of low-lying and far-flung areas of the city, after the horrific outcome of monsoon rains in August. Behbud Learning Resource Center (LRC): Many Teacher training sessions were conducted online. Multi Skill Training Program was imparted to 135 teachers, both from Behbud and other NGOs. Online Teacher Training courses were also held for teachers in Rahim Yar Khan and Gharo. Three inter-active sessions on mental health challenges due to Covid-19 were conducted on Zoom by eminent health-care professionals. Renovation work on structural assets: • With the help of a donation from PSO the Behbud Secondary Schools at Clifton Complex were refurbished during the lockdown. • Behbud Education System envisions expansion in the coming years. With this in mind, Mr. Aqeel Bilgrami was requested to make a plan for the fourth floor at Clifton Complex. He has made a preliminary plan with suggestions from members. It will be presented to the membership when finalized. • Repairs of the Kalapul Schools were completed. • Behbud Creation Shop on Zamzama had a major termite issue which was addressed. • For security purpose a CCTV was installed at Mehmoodabad Center and staff was trained to check daily footage. • The administration office at Clifton Complex was totally revamped. We thank Mr. Aqeel Bilgrami who not only devised the new layout but visited many times to monitor the work in progress. Future renovation plans: Since Mehmoodabad Center requires a complete overhaul, plans are being made to demolish the present building and rebuild it to better fit its needs. We are seeking a sponsor for this renovation. 5 Sponsorships and Donations In-Kind: • Sui Southern Gas Company has made a donation to sponsor deserving students, 20 in Computer courses and 30 in Industrial Home classes. • The Academy School donated their furniture to Behbud Schools. It was allocated to all the education projects according to need. Documentation and Centralization of records: Behbud has been growing in the past 50 years and now needs to adopt modern governing practices and ensure long term sustainability of it services. The following steps have been taken with this in mind. • A policy manual has been written for Behbud, this also fulfills Pakistan Center of Philanthropy (PCP) recommendations. • A Human Resource professional has been hired to centralize all Behbud staff records and keep them up-to-date. Acquisition of new schools: Two schools have been donated to Behbud. These are running institutions and serve 750 needy children which is in line with Behbud’s mission. The transfer of the assets will be in the name of Behbud Association Karachi . One school in Qayummabad and the other in Shirin Jinnah colony. Projects and Beneficiaries: This year due to the pandemic lockdown imposed by the government, Behbud activities came to a virtual halt. The beneficiary count was hence extremely low. Total beneficiaries : 19,822 Health 11,623, Education and training 5,563 (children and adults), Vocational training and Income generation 2,064, and Helping Hands 572. Highlights of Behbud Projects Behbud Health Services: Mid-December 2019, a Hepatitis-C Clinic was started in collaboration with The Health Foundation and an M.O.U was signed. It is commendable to mention that the Hepatitis-C and TB clinics were run and supervised by its Chair, staff and volunteers throughout the lockdown months. Behbud Health has also administered Hepatitis-C vaccinations to Behbud students in the past. Behbud Education System: Online classes were started during the lockdown. Assignments were sent on WhatsApp and some classes were conducted on Zoom. Behbud teachers received training through LRC on how to conduct online classes. 6 Vocational Training and Income Generation: Due to the closure of businesses during the lockdown, products were featured online on social media platforms. Sales were made and the items, delivered to the buyers and a reasonable income was generated through this venture. Helping Hands: Ration distribution to Behbud’s wage workers, patients and families of poor students was undertaken successfully. Financial aid was also disbursed to pandemic affected families. Detailed reports of all Behbud projects are included in this Annual Report. Acknowledgements I extend my sincerest thanks to the Office Bearers and the Executive Committee and all Behbud members for their consistent and unstinting support. You made my work easy. My gratitude goes also to all Behbud employees for their hard work and dedication. A special acknowledgement goes to our Admin staff who made themselves available for relief work during the Covid 19 lockdown. I am extremely grateful to all Behbud donors and friends, advisors and volunteers. Without them Behbud would find it difficult to function. Condolences On behalf of the entire Behbud membership, I extend sincere condolences at the passing of: Arifa Hasan Ahmad, member of Behbud Karachi. Almas Dutta, member of Behbud Karachi. Mr. Ajmal Hussain, husband of Behbud member Dr. Farhat Ajmal. Mr. Masrur Ahmed, husband of our senior member Zehra Masrur. Mr. Sajjad Akbar Kazmi, husband of Behbud member Nishat Kazmi. Farida Anwer Zaidi, President of Lahore Behbud. Zahanat Haider, sister of Behbud member Tanvir Iftikhar Khwaja I would like to end with another big thank you to all of you. May Allah give us all the ability to help and support Behbud in continuing its service to the poor. Ameen. Naheed Viqar President Behbud Association Karachi 7 BEHBUD EDUCATION SYSTEM Sustainable development can only be achieved through quality education. To fulfill this aim Behbud Education System (BES) is providing women and children with opportunities to develop and improve their lives. Behbud schools are located in or near katchi abadis enabling children to walk to schools.